Amusement and exercising apparatus



Nov. 7, 1950 T. A. HALL 2,529,017

AMUSEMENT AND EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed June 1, 1948 Hll , JNVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 7, 1950 2,529,017 51 AMUSEMENT AND EXERCISJNG APPARATUS Thomas A. Hall, Hillsdale, Greg. 7

Application June 1, 1948, Serial No. 30,378

This invention relates to improvements in combination amusement and exercising devices of the type shown and described in my application filed November 9, 1944, under Serial No. 562,621 now abandoned.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide apparatus of this character which is of simple, eflicient, durable and inexpensive construction, safe in its operation and conveniently adjustableto the weight of the occupant and to also vary its'operative range in accordance with the loads applied to it by occupants of different weights.

These and other objects will apepar as my in vention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an exercising and amusement device made in accordance with my invention and with a fragment broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a, detail view of spring-tensioning means with one of its vertical cover plates removed for convenience of illustration.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the spring-tensioning means in operation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

The base of the device is made up of two longitudinal members indicated at and 2 secured in parallel spaced relation to each other by one 01' more cross members indicated at 2A secured by bolts 23 to the longitudinal members. Each longitudinal member is made up of two aligned members 3 and 4-reduced in thickness at their inner ends as at 5 and 6 to form recesses l to receive two spaced apart vertical plates 8 and 9 which are secured by bolts 9A to the said reduced inner ends 5 and 6 of the longitudinal members. The plates are grooved vertically throughout their length to form opposing channels l and I within which is slidably mounted for vertical movement a block I 2 for regulating the amount of tension on springs l3 whose one ends are attached as at M to one end of cables l which extend through the adjusting blocks I2 and anchored at their opposite ends as at l6 to the lower edge of the base. The opposite ends of the springs l3 are pivotally attached by means of brackets I! to the underside of frame |8 from whose underside is suspended, by stapling, tacking or the'like,

' of anchorage l6 of the cables and 2 Claims. (01. 61)

any approved form of fabric seat generally indicated at IS. The frame I8 is pivotally mounted as at 20 to theupper ends of supporting columns 2| whose lowermost ends are pivotally attached to the base as at 22 whereby the frame and supporting columns .at each side form three sides of a parallelogram swingably attached to the base for forward and rearward swinging motion with respect thereto about the pivot points 20 and 22 and whereby the frame and seat carried by it are maintained in a horizontal position throughout the entire operative range.

When the apparatus is in a position of rest with its parts in the positions shown in full lines in Figure 2, the springs I3 are fully relaxed for the reason that the cables I5 and the springs are inalignment with each other between the points the spring supporting brackets When, however, the seat or frame and the supporting columns 2| are moved in either direction to any degree off the vertical, the cables l5 (extending through the longitudinal bores |2A in the blocks and movable freely within the spaces between the upper portions of the plates 8 and 9) will be drawn over the slightly rounded upper ends 23 of the adjusting blocks l2 regardless of the position of the blocks. With the blocks in the uppermost positions, the distance between the point A (see Figure 5) and point B is less and hence the pull on the spring is greater than that applied to it when the blocks are in their lower positions, since the distance is greater between points C and B than between A and B. Accordingly, the blocks |2 are set in their uppermost positions for accommodating maximum loads and gradually lowered to accommodate loads of lesser weight. For looking the blocksin any of their adjusted positions, I provide a vertical slot 24 in each outside plate 9 through which extends a bolt 25 whose head is seated or secured within the block and whose outer end is provided with a wing nut and washer for locking the block within the channels l0 and I.

As a safety measure, I encase each spring within a flexible tubular covering 26.

The apparatus is rendered collapsible into compact form for shipping or storing bymerely disengaging the ends of the cables from the ends of the springs which, of course, will allow the supporting columns 2| and the frame I 8 to be moved downwardly into substantially horizontal positions within the base members and 2.

The board seat I9 is suspended from the frame l8 by any approved form of flexible material such 3 as canvas or the like and the forward end of the seat is provided with a dividing strap 21 whose one end is secured to the underside of the frame and its opposite end to the underside of the seat. As a convenience I may provide the forward end of the frame 58 which forms a tray with any approved type of hand rail 28 mounted between two supports 29.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is;

1. Amusement and exercising apparatus comprising a base, parallel columns pivotally attached at their lower ends to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, a frame pivotally attached to the upper ends of said columns for to and fro motion with respect to the base, a

seat carried by the frame, springs attached at their upper ends to saidframe and at'their 'opposite ends to flexible elements extending 'into the base through lateral spaces formed therein, and means slidably mounted for vertical adjustment within the base for forming adjustable bending points for said flexible elements within said spaces intermediate the ends of the flexible elements to vary the tension on said springs.

2. Amusement and'exerc'ising apparatus comprising a base, parallel columns pivotally at tached at their lower ends to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, a frame pivotally attached to the upper ends of the columns for to and fro movement with respect to the base, resilient means attached at one of their ends to said frame and at their opposite ends to flexible elements terminating within the base and bendable to either. side of a vertical position, said flexible elements extending through lateral spaces formed in the base and through elements slidable vertically for vertical adjustment within the base for varying the bending points of the flexible elements-to vary the-tension on said springs during said to and fro movement of said frame.

THOMAS A. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Germany- Aug '7, 1929 

